Wanted to record this post hot, hot! A while since the world cup came home! After Dhoni, very well deserving for Rohit and Virat and of course the entire team to be bringing the trophy to India all the way from West Indies. Watched only the matches played by India in the WI. What beautiful locales. Have to thank the windies for being such gracious hosts and conducting the tournament without hickups. We can see the reasons: sponsors such as Aramco! Before congratulating our men, I would like to record my displeasure and distaste for having this Jay Shah at all as BCCI sec and as ICC Director. Its a shame for the entire nation that money and power can play such an obvious and vulgar role in our midst and we have to stand watching the entire tamasha without a comment. Its also very disrespectful for the game of cricket to have women starting from Mandira Bedi to analyse the game along with experts without actually having played it. There are dozens of Indian women cricket players who can fit the bill. Glamour seems to rear its ugly head up over talent and merit. Otherwise very proud of the cool way India handled the tournament. They were very much there in every single game they played and remained unbeaten. Match was almost lost when South Africa had to score just 30 out of 30 balls and victory was well within their grasps. An iota of hope against hope sneaked in as the batsmen were tailenders. Bumrah and Hardik reined in the last few overs. The Suryakumar catch reversed the fortunes and at that point India found the foothold to get back into the game. Had it been a sixer with Yadav dropping the impossible catch, the match would have gone the South African way. SA played a great game as well and it felt bad watching their players weeping in the tv. Equally winners no doubt about that. Its also a satisfying victory for India who tamed Australia and Pakistan. The other arrogant nations are Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Australia kicked out of the tournament without having a berth in the semi finals probably taught them a lesson. The Pat Cummins comment in the last final we toughed it out, that he would make entire India go silent still reverberates in my ears.
Finally cricket is just a sport. The popularity of the game has a lot to do with the masses of the subcontinent taking to cricket, playing it out in the streets without having to spend a naya paisa. The reason cricket is a huge obsession is that its not sophisticated like tennis or any other sport. To a large extent you can enjoy playing the game without having to spend much – unless otherwise you want to be a professional. IPL has made cricket very much a financially viable option for our youngsters who nowadays don’t even want to play for national team! I stopped watching IPL because to me its overkill. It can either make the players extraordinarily fit or fatigue them completely. Besides, the commercial sports somehow never seem appealing to me.
As for Pakistan, they have to come out of their denial first. For them every single Indian win is match fixing. Only if you admit that you are not competitive enough, you may want to work on yourselves. For me, Indian win is mainly based on strategy. India focuses on batting line up instead of on bowling attack. Our poor stamina is one plausible explanation. Our tropical climate being next. Its instrumental to build ourselves stronger first than trying to destroy others. The focus must be on the self.
As the tournament was in progress, Dipa Karmakar won the gymnastic gold for India in artistry for seniors at Asian level, for the first time in our history. Neeraj Chopra won few more golds in javelin throw. At least 2 to 3 in world top 10 in chess are from India. Impressive that Indian athletes have qualified for Paris Olympics. To get on to this stage is a feat as we all know. Cricket does shadow every single individual success in alternate sporting fields and events. Its sad. But the masses relax with cricket like with no other game. In the April-May heat wave see our stadiums packed with kids for IPL. Cricket is also A class fitness.
We have the younger generation who cannot be under the sun for 10 minutes. Real physical fitness and stamina is the ability and endurance to be under the scorching tropical sun for hours. That way I find that cricket shall keep our young men and women healthy. For every other sport you have to pay out of your wallet – cricket is free until upto a stage. May the poorest of this country enjoy the game that is reaching their drawing rooms without them having to pay a single penny for it. May the urchins keep breaking window glass panes playing street cricket with tennis ball. Indian team also is seeing a lot of players in recent years who are making it big from small towns. Dhoni being the prime example.
Anyway, what an evening today! Quality entertainment!
Blue army, the Bharat army deserved to win. They really were in the game throughout. They played a disciplined game and were a balanced team. Their temperament was good. As the venue was not India, I think the pressure was off them. Very noble of Virat Kohli to announce his retirement in time unlike Sachin Tendulkar and even Dhoni who blocked the younger players for years. Retiring with grace is important to infuse flesh blood into the team.
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School time memories: Huge fans we girls were of Viv Richards and Geoff Dujon! Cannot forget the time they toured India and were in Madras too in the ’80.
vijiravindran's 